4. Main Results:
- Result: The distribution of green space within the Melbourne metropolitan area is skewed towards wealthier neighbourhoods.
Rapid urbanisation is in many countries accompanied by rising inequality Within cities, rising socio-spatial inequality manifests itself in the ability of some residents to outcompete other residents for the locations that provide access to key economic, physical and social infrastructure.
Inequality also manifests in the concentration of poorer health and a series of concentrated social problems (e.g. anti-social behaviours).
While many of the processes that contribute to shaping trends in inequality typically are not determined at the city level, the manifestations of inequality are local and often spatially concentrated.
One way for cities to deal with the manifestations of inequality is through the provision of green space.
- Research Questions:
1. How does access to different types of green space vary for low-income households in Melbourne, Australia?
2. How does low-income household relocation within metropolitan Melbourne affect access to green space over time?
- Study Area: Melbourne
Rapid population growth
Urban Development and densification
Property Values growth
Global climate changes
- Data:
Geographical Units: On average SA2s are approximately 7.5 km\(_2\) contain some 5,900 households (HH). (ABS)
Socio-Economic Data: The proportion of low-income households (HH) in SA2, (lowest 40%) (ABS).
Green space Data: Unlike previous studies we utilize a measure of green space that incorporates all alternative green space locations weighted by distance and congestion (users), rather than proximity or share of locality (DWELP).
- Method:
1. Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA): to determine the existence of bivariate statistically significant spatial clusters of low-income proportion and green space.
2. Mann-Whitney U Test: to discern the spatial distributional relationship between low-income proportion and green space index.
- Result: The distribution of green space within the Melbourne metropolitan area is skewed towards wealthier neighbourhoods.